Acetylene-gas generator.



L. H. THALMAN.

ACETYLENE GAS GENERATOR.

APPLICATION FILED sEPT.2. |915. RENEwEn JUNE 22. 1911.

1,241,680. Patented oct. 2,1917.

6 .ze 9 In n lll \\\l'` \\\\I \\\l m f /5 @noauto/L uns:

UNTTE AACIETYLIENEGrAS GENERATOR.

Applcatonfled September 2, 1915, Serial No. 48,682. `Renewed June 22, 1917.

.To all whom 'it may concern Be it known that I, LArnnn H. THALMAN, a cltizen of the United States, residing at San Diego,.in the county of San Diego and State of California, have. inventedf certain new and useful Improvements in Aeetylene- Gras` Generators, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relatesV to acetylene gas generators, and it hasfor its object the, pro` vision of a simple and inexpensive.structure i.

arranged in such manner that the proper. amount of carbid necessary to maintain the proper gas pressure, rwill `be automatically fed into the water.

It is desirable in devices of thisnature to maintain the bulk of the! carbid `out of eontact with the water, because, where the water is fed into the entire bulk of carbid more gas `is generated than is desirableand the entire body of carbid is rendered useless I am aware of the fact that generators have been devised in which the carbid `is fedi into the water, but this has usually been accomplished by the employment of more or less complicated and expensive structures. It is, therefore, a particular object of the present invention to provide a simple and inexpensive structure in which the feeding of the carbid is controlled by a float, this float being forced downwardly in a body of water by the gas pressure when the desired amount of gas has been generated.

Further objects and advantages of the invention will be set forth in the detailed description which now follows.

The figure shown in the accompanying drawing is a vertical sectional view of a gas generator constructed in accordance with the invention.

Referring to the drawing, 5 designates a main tank, and 6 a carbid receptacle, the latter being provided with a filling cap 7. A sleeve 8 is disposed vertically in the carbid receptacle 6 and this sleeve is provided at its lower end with a guard apron 9 which holds most of the weight of carbid from the valve l2 and limits the amount of carbid which may feed downwardly to a port 10, through which communication is established between the interior of receptacle 6, and the interior of tank 5. A valve stem 11 passes through sleeve 6 and carries a valve 12. This stem is provided at its upper end with Specification of Letters Patent.

.Patented Oct. 2, 1917.

serial No.,17e,425.

a handle v.13, and a leaka When the carbid receptacle is heilig filled with carbid the` valve 12 is lowered to close port 10, and Ythis valve is also lowered when yit is desired to stop further generation of gas, but when the device is in operation this valve l2 is lifted to lie within the apron 9, andtheirthc passage of carbid through port 10 is controlled by a second valve 15 mounted upon one end of a lever 16. This packing ,nut 14; prevfnits` ge` of gas about the valve stein 13.

leveris pivoted at 17 to an ear 1S of tank a filling cap 26. The tank 5 is providedI witha pet cock 27, and with a gasdischarge pipe 28.,

The operation of the device is as follows Filling plug 2G is removed, and water is poured into tank 20 and overflows through opening' 19 into tank until it rises to the stop cock 27 whereupon this stop cock is closed and filling plug 26 is put in place. If the valve 1Q be now lifted carbid will flow into the water contained in tank 5 and thereby generates gas. The pressure of the gas so generated acts upon the water contained within the float tank 2O and also upon the upper surface of the iloat with the result that such a reduction of the volume of air within the float follows as to permit a lowering of the water .level with a consequent sinking of the float. The result of this is that valve 15 is moved upward to close opening 10. Vhen sufficient gas has been taken oil' through pipe Q8 to reduce the pressure, it is apparent that this operation will be repeated and that this operation will continue to be repeated until either the carbid is exhausted, or the valve 12 is forced downwardly to stop further feed of the carbid. A drain plug 29 is located near the bottom of the tank, and an agitator 30 is mounted upon a shaft 31 and is arranged to be rotated by gearing 32 and handle 33, by virtue of which construction it is possible to thoroughly clean tank 5.

It is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the precise construction set l into said main forth, but that it includes within its purview such changes as come within they spirit oi' the appended claims.

Having described my invention, claim is l. In a device of the character described, the combination with a main tank, oi' a carbid receptacle mounted upon the top thereof and having an opening formed in its bottom vthrough which the carbid is discharged into the main tank, a float tank supported from the to'p of the main tank and depending tank, said float tank being provided with an overflow opening which discharges into the first named tank, a float of inverted cup shape disposed within the float tank, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends and pivoted at one of its ends to said float, a valve carried by the upper end of said llever and arranged to close the opening formed in the bottom of said carbid receptacle, said float tank being materially smaller than the main tank, the gas pressure generated in the main tank passing through the overflow opening and acting upon the surface of the water contained within the iioat tank to ca-use a compression of the air within the floatand a consequent lowering of the water level and the float to thereby close the valve.

what I 2. In a device of the character described.

the combination with a main tank,` closed Copies of this patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressing the Washington, D. C.

at the bottom and a carbid receptacle in y communication therewith, a pivoted lever,

a valve carried by said lever arranged to g an overflow opening for discharging into the first named tank, and a iilling means in the top of the float tank.

3. In a device of the character described the combination with amain tank, a carbid receptacle in communication therewith, a pivoted lever, a valve carried by said lever arranged to control the passage of carbid from said carbid receptacle to said tank, a float of inverted cup formato lwhich said lever is pivoted, a iioat tank in which said float is disposed, said float tank being provided with an overflow opening for dis-v charging into the first named tank, a filling means in the top of the float tank, and a manually operable valve 'for cutting o3 com'- munication between the carbid receptacle and the iirst named tank.

In testimonywhereof I aiiiX my signature in presence of ltwo witnesses.

LAURIE II. THALMAN.

Witnesses: y

G. MURL GORDEN, J. C. HIZAR.

Commissioner of Patents, 

